Undergarment



G. SLOAN UNDERGARMENT Nov. 30, 1965 Filed Nov. 20, 1963 FIG. 1

FIG

lNvENToR Gerold Sloan BYy 0,:

' ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,220,410 UNDERGARMENT Gerald Sioan,Spring Valley, NX., assigner to Exquisite Form Industries, Inc., NewYork, NSY., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 26, 1963, Ser. No.325,052 7 Claims. (Cl. t28-159) The present invention relates,generally, to garments.

More particularly, this invention pertains to un-dergarmentsparticularly adapted for use by the male species, which garment isgenerally referred to as briefs, shorts, tightsj and trunks At theoutset, it is to be understood that, while the present invention isillustrated as applied to an undergarment comprising leg structures ofcomparatively short length, the same is equally applicable to that typeof male undergarment comprising leg structures extending the full lengthof the body and substantially to the ankles thereof.

Heretofore, male undergarments, as opposed to female undergarments, havebeen suggested primarily for hygienic and health purposes. However,there is presently a demand for such undergarments that are capable ofperforming a Wide variety of additional functions.

For example, there is presently a demand for male undergarments that aresoI constituted and arranged as to be capable of idealizing thegeometries of the male figure. However, while garments are availablethat attempt to present figure control, such garments are uncomfortabletovwear. Additionally, while figure control is a recognized desidertum,criteria such as posture control, and a garment that is so constitutedand arranged as to perform one or more of the functions of a surgicalgarment, such as proper support in the region of the back required as aresult of an injury thereto, while yet not presenting the discomforts ofsuch a garment, have been substantially, if not completely, ignored.

Still further, and of prime importance, is the problem frequenty andparticularly encountered by males of obese proportions specifically inthe area of the crotch. More specically, the obese male uses a device,such as a suspender, to pull an outer garment, for example, his slacksor pants, upwardly of the body. As a result, undergarments as arepresently available ride upwardly and into the crotch, with a resultingextreme discomfort, and even a profuse irritation or rash A stillfurther problem of prime importance with existing undergarments is thatthey are formed with the necessary opening in the front in such a manneras to present great difficulty in providing egress therefrom in theknown manner.

Accordingly, having in mind each and every one of the abovedisadvantages, and others that are considered readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, it is a primary object of the present invention toprovide an undergarment particularly adapted for use by the male, saidundergarment being so constituted, congured and arranged as to developiigure controlling pressures for the male body in degrees that rendersuch garment capable of tending to idealize the geometry of the malefigure, capable of providing posture control, and capable of performingcertain functions of a surgical garment, such as presenting propersupport in the lower region of the back, necessitated by an injurythereto, which undergarment is yet perfectly suitable for hygienic andhealth purposes, and is completely comfortable during use.

Another primary object of the present invention is to provide anundergarment particularly adapted for use by the male, said undergarmentbeing so constituted, configured and arranged as to develop figurecontrolling pressures for the male body in degrees that render such gar-3,229,4i@ Patented Nov.. 30, 1965 ICCl ment capable of performing eachand every one of the functions above described, said undergarment,further, comprising a plurality of generally centrally disposed panelspositioned in partial overlapping relationship with respect to oneanother, the transverse dimensional extent of one of said panels beinggreater than the other, enabling the presentation of a generallyvertically opening transversely extending aperture, facilitating theegress therefrom in a known manner readily and with little, if any,difliculty.

Yet another primary object of the present invention is to provide anundergarment particularly adapted for use by the male, said undergarmentbeing so constituted, configured and arranged as to develop figurecontrolling pressures for the male body in degrees that render suchgarment capable of performing each and every one of the functions abovedescribed, said undergarment, further, comprising a pouch particularlyadapted for use in the known manner, said pouch comprising, in turn, oneof said generally centrally disposed panels and a band or panel xedlyassociated therewith and with each of the leg sections of said garment,each of said bands being distendable in at least one of a plurality ofdirections and extending from the front to the rear of the garment, saidbands, further, being particularly adapted to fold generally mediallythereof and therealong for cooperation with said one panel, increasingthe capacity of said pouch, and for cooperation with said leg sectionsfor encompassing that portion of the male body known as the innerthighs, enabling the presentation of an undergarment for the male thatwill not ride upwardly into the region of the crotch, with a resultingextreme irritation thereto, even in the instance of a male of obeseproportions.

A still further primary object of the present invention is to provide anundergarment particularly adapted for use by the male, said undergarmentbeing so constituted, configured and arranged as to develop figurecontrolling pressures for the male body in degrees that render suchgarment capable of performing each and every one of the functions abovedescribed, said undergarment, further, comprising a generallycircumferentially extending waist band of substantial transversedimensional extent, said waist band being so constituted and arranged asto develop tensile forces in one of a plurality of regionslongitudinally thereof that are greater than the forces developed inanother of said longitudinally extending regions, presenting anundergarment for the male that provides a greater degree ofcircumferential waist line control in the narrowest region of the maleWaist, and a lesser degree of said control in that region of the malebody tapering generally vertically upwardly from and radially outwardlyof the waist, which garment will not ride upwardly during use With anextreme degree of attendant discomfort.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparentfrom a study of the specication following taken with the drawing, whichtogether show, illustrate, describe and disclose a preferred embodimentor modication of the invention and what is now considere-d to be thebest mode of practicing the principles thereof. Other embodiments ormodifications may be suggested to those having the benefit of theteachings herein, and such other embodiments or modifications areintended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope andspirit of the subjoined claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an undergarment for the malespecies constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 `is a view similar to FIG. l, but illustrating the undergarmentfrom rearwardly thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the undergarment illustrated in FIGS. land 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated therein anundergarment, particularly adapted for use by the male species, andgenerally designated by the reference character 10. The garment 1dcomprises a body encompassing or encircling panel, generally designatedby the reference character 12, of such dimensional extent as to extendcompletely transversely of the rear or back of the male body 14, asillustrated in FIG. 2, around the sides thereof, and partiallytransversely of the front of the body, terminating generally centrallythereof. The body encircling panel 12 may be fabricated of any suitablematerial, and preferably is fabricated of a material that is distendablein each of a plurality of directions, that is, having elastic threadsextending in each of said directions, as illustrated by the arrows inthe drawing. The panel 12, further, is comprised of a plurality of legsections 16, extending generally vertically downwardly therefrom, saidsections being particularly adapted to partially encompass or encirclethe thighs 18 of the body 14.

As pointed out above, the body encircling panel extends forwardly of thebody 14, and terminates generally centrally thereof. A plurality offrontal panels 20 and 22 are disposed generally centrally and frontallyof the garment 10, and are xedly structurally associated with orconnected to the panel 12 in any suitable manner, as by means of opposedlines of stitching 24.

The panels-20 and 22 may be fabricated of any suitable material, and,for example, may be fabricated of the same material as the panel 12. Inchoosing the material from which the panel 22 is fabricated, hygienicconditions at that location of the male torso should be kept in mind. Inthis instance, it may be desirable to fabricate the panel 22 from amaterial that differs from that of the panel 12. The material chosen maybe distendable in each of the directions indicated by the arrows in thedrawing.

As illustrated in the drawing, the longitudinal dimensional extent orlength of the garment is greater than the transverse dimensional extentor width thereof. In this same connection, the longitudinal dimensionalextent of each of the panels and 22 is predetermined so that, whenconnected to the panel 12, the former are disposed in a partialoverlapping relationship with respect to one another. Each panel is of aconfiguration simulating that of an inverted truncated cone. In thisconnection, it is to be particularly noted that the width of the panel2) is substantially equal to the distance between opposed lines ofstitching 24, while the same dimension of the panel 22 is greater thanthat distance. Accordingly, the lower edge 26 of the panel 20 generallyfollows the contour of the body 14 at that location and is disposedgenerally flush thereagainst, while the upper edge 28 of the panel 22extends forwardly or outwardly of the panel 20, as indicated in FIG. lby the generally downwardly extending curvilinear configuration of theedge 28. There is formed therefore a transversely extending generallyvertically upwardly opening aperture 30 providing egress from thegarment 1t) in the known manner.

The panel 22 extends from the front of the garment 10, as particularlyillustrated in FIGS. l and 3, to the rear thereof, as illustrated inFIG. 2, where it is again lixedly structurally associated with the bodyencircling panel 12 in any suitable manner, as by means of stitching 32.In accordance with this construction, the panel 22, in conjunction withother component parts of the garment 10, presently to be described,comprises a distendable variable capacity pouch, generally designated bythe reference character 34, which pouch is particularly adapted tofunction during use, in the known manner.

A plurality of inner distendable panels 36 extends from the front of thegarment 1@ to the rear thereof, and is ixedly associated with the lowerpanel 22 as by means of stitching 38. These panels may be fabricated ofany suitable material, and may be fabricated of the same material as thebody encircling panel 12, in which case the panels 36 will bedistendable in each of a plurality of directions. It is to be understoodthat, regardless of the material, the panels 36 are to be fabricated soas to be distendable in at least one of Stich directions.

The inner panels, in extending from the front to the rear of the garment10, are of such longitudinal dimensional extent or length as topartially encompass or encircle the thighs 18. Accordingly, it can beseen that the inner panels 36 are particularly adapted to cooperatestructurally with the lower panel 22, thus comprising a component partor element of the pouch 34, and, additionally, particularly adapted tocooperate structurally with the leg sections 16, in completelyencircling the thighs thus comprising a component part or element of andcompleting such leg sections.

A waist encircling or encompassing control band 40 is fixedly associatedwith or connected to the garment 10, in any suitable manner, as by meansof stitching 42. The waist control band is of substantial transversedimensional extent or width, as opposed to be relatively nar row, and iseven of the order of three inches. This band may be fabricated of anysuitable material, and preferably is so fabricated and arranged as to bedistendable in only one direction, that is, longitudinally thereof, asindicated by the directional arrows in the drawing. In addition, infabricating the band 40, the elastic threads extending longitudinally ofthe upper half or region thereof are chosen to present a greater degreeof resiliency than the elastic threads extending longitudinally of thelower half or region of the band. This is of particular significancewhen it is realized that the body 14 tapers upwardly and outwardly ofthe narrowest region thereof, namely, the waist. Accordingly, inaddition to achieving the desired control in the area of the waist,there is also achieved the desired comfort and posture control in thatarea and in the area thereabove.

A leg encircling or encompassing control band 144 is fxedly associatedwith each of the leg sections 16 and with the inner panels 36, in anysuitable manner, as by means of the stitching 46. The bands 44 may be ofsubstantial transverse dimensional extent or width, as opposed t0 berelatively narrow, and may be fabricated of any suitable material, suchas the material from which the band 40 is fabricated. As opposed to thelatter, however, the bands 44 preferably are fabricated to present thesame degree of resiliency completely of the width and the lengththereof. As pointed out above, the leg sections 16, which are completedby the inner panels 36, are particularly adapted to completely encompassor encircle the thighs 18. The control bands 44 are particularly adaptedto perform the same function, and, additionally, provide the propercontrol and support therefor, While, at the same time, yielding completecomfort.

In use, the transversely extending generally vertically opening aperture30 provides and facilitates ready egress from the garment 10, in theknown manner. The inner bands 36, inasmuch as they are positionedadjacent the crotch of the body 14, fold generally medially of thetransverse dimensional extent or width thereof, one half beingparticularly adapted to cooperate with the panel 22 in forming the pouch34, and the other half being particularly adapted to cooperate with theleg sections 16 in completing the same and completely encircling thethighs 18. In this manner, there is provided a pouch 34 that performs inuse in the known manner, regardless of the size of the male 14. Inaddition, the portion folding into juxtaposition with the thighspresents more than enough material for the control as well as thecomfort thereof. Of particular significance is the fact that the foldingof the inner panels 36 to cooperate with the pouch 34 and the legsections 16 precludes the garment 10 from riding generally upwardly ofthe body 14 and into the crotch thereof, particularly in the instancewhen the male is of obese proportions.

Moreover, there is provided not only figure control, resulting from theprovision of the waist control band 40 and the leg control bands 44, asWell as complete comfort due to the variable resiliency of the waistcontrol band, particularly in the area above the waist expandingradially outwardly and upwardly of the body, but, in addition, posturecontrol, particularly in the latter area, where it is of primaryimportance.

It is to be understood that terminology such as upper, lower, frontal orfront, rearwardly or rear, and upwardly and downwardly, as used in theensuing description and in the subjoined claims, along with othersimilar directional terminology, is to be construed and interpretedin-its normal and accepted sense. However, such terminology is not to beconstrued or interpreted in a limiting sense either in the ensuingdescription or the subjoinedclaims, since the same is used merely tofacilitate an understanding of and to clearly set forth and particularlydefine the present invention.

While the invention has been shown, illustrated, described and disclosedin terms of an embodiment or modiiication which vit has assumed inpractice, the scope of the invention should not be deemed to be limitedby the precise embodiment or modification herein shown, illustrated,described or disclosed, such other embodiments or modifications intendedto be reserved especially as they fall within the scope of the claimshere appended.

I claim:

1. An undergarment particularly adapted for use by the male speciescomprising, in combination:

a body-encircling panel for encompassing the rear, the sides and atleast a portion of the front of the male torso;

an upper and lower panel disposed at the front of said garment and beingconnected to said body-encircling panel at that location;

said upper and lower panels being disposed in partial overlappingrelationship with one another to define a transversely extendingvertically opening aperture; and

a plurality of inner panels extending from the front of said garment tothe rear thereof;

said inner panels each being connected to said bodyencircling panel atthe front and at the rear of said garment, and along an edge or sidethereof to said lower panel;

said inner panels each being foldable longitudinally thereof to providea portion that coacts with the lower panel in defining a distensiblepouch of variable capacity useful in the known manner regardless of thedimensional extents of the male body.

2. An undergarment as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the transverse dimensional extent of said lower panel is greater thanthe same dimension of said upper panel.

3. An undergarment as defined in claim 2, wherein:

said body encircling panel further comprises:

a plurality of leg sections extending therefrom;

said inner panels being connected with said leg sections along an otheredge or side thereof from the front to the rear of the garment;

said inner panels each defining an other portion that co-operates withsaid leg sections to completely encircle those portions of the male bodyknown as the thighs,

4. An undergarment as defined in claim 3, wherein there is provided:

a waist encircling control band;

said waist band comprising, in turn:

a plurality of generally longitudinally extending resilient regions ofsubstantial transverse dimensional extent;

the degree of resiliency of one of said plurality of regions beinggreater than that of an other.

5. An undergarment as defined in claim 4, wherein:

the said encircling panel is distendable in at least one of a pluralityof directions;

said frontally disposed panels are each of them distendable in at leastone of a plurality of directions; and

said inner panels are each of them distendable in at least one of aplurality of directions.

6. An undergarment particularly adapted for use by the male speciescomprising, in combination:

a body encircling panel;

said panel being of such transverse dimensional extent as to extendcompletely transversely of the rear of a male body, around the sidesand'partially transversely of the front thereof;

said panel being distendable in each of a plurality of directions andcomprising, in turn:

a plurality of opposed edges extending generally angularly completelylongitudinally of said garment, and

a plurality of leg sections extending generally vertically downwardlytherefrom and being particularly adapted to at least partially encompassthat portion of the male body known as the thighs;l

an upper frontal panel disposed generally centrally and frontally ofsaid garment and fixedly associated with the opposed edges of saidencircling panel;

said frontal panel being distendable in each of a plurality ofdirections and being of a transverse dimensional extent substantiallyequal to the transverse distance between said opposed edges;

a lower frontal panel disposed generally centrally and frontally of saidgarment and fixedly associated with the opposed edges of said encirclingpanel;

said lower frontal panel being distendable in each of a plurality ofdirections and being of a transverse dimensional extent greater than thetransverse distance between said opposed edges;

the longitudinal dimensional extent of each of said upper and lowerfrontal panels being such as to dispose the same in a partialoverlapping relationship with respect to one another;

enabling the presentation of a transversely extending generallyvertically upwardly opening aperture providing facile egress from thesaid garment in the known manner;

said lower frontal panel being of such longitudinal dimensional extentas to extend from the front to the rear of said garment;

a plurality of distendable inner panels fixedly associated with thelower frontal panel, and being of such longitudinal dimensional extentas to extend from the front to the rear of said garment,

said inner panels being distendable in at least one of a plurality ofdirections, and being structurally operatively associated with saidlower frontal panel, enabling the presentation of a distendable variablecapacity pouch useful in the known manner regardless of the dimensionalextents of the body;

said lower frontal panel being structurally operatively associated withsaid leg sections, and being particularly adapted to at least partiallyencircle the said thighs;

said inner panels and leg sections being particularly adapted tocompletely encircle the said thighs;

a waist encircling control band fixedly associated with said distendableencircling panel and said upper frontal panel, and being of suchlongitudinal dimensional extent as to completely encircle a male bodygenerally about that portion thereof known as the waist;

said waist band being distendable in at least one of a plurality ofdirections, and being of substantial transverse dimensional extent, saidwaist band comprising, in turn:

a plurality of generally longitudinally directed transversely extendingresilient regions;

the degree of resiliency of one of said plurality of regions beinggreater than that of an other; and

a leg encircling control band ixedly associated with each of said legsections and the said inner panels;

said leg control bands being distendable in at least one of a pluralityof directions, and being particularly adapted to completely encirclethat portion of the male body known as the thighs.

7. An underground particularly adapted for use by the male speciescomprising, in combination:

a body-encircling panel for encompassing the rear, the sides and atleast a portion of the front of the male torso, and comprising:

a plurality of leg sections;

an upper and lower panel disposed at the front of said garment and beingconnected to said body-encircling panel at that location;

the transverse dimensional extent of said lower panel being greater thanthe same dimension of said upper panel; and the longitudinal dimensionalextent of each of said panels being such as to dispose the same inpartial overlapping relationship with respect to one another;

enabling the presentation of a transversely extending vertically openingaperture providing facile egress from the said garment in the knownmanner;

a plurality of inner panels extending from the front of said garment tothe rear thereof;

said inner panels each being connected to the leg sections of saidbody-encircling panel at the front and at the rear of said garment, andalong one edge or side thereof to said lower panel;

said inner panels each being foldable longitudinally thereof to providea portion that coacts with the lower panel in defining a distensiblepouch of variable capacity useful in the known manner regardless of thedimensional extents of the male body, and another portion to co-operatewith said leg sections to completely encircle those portions of the malebody known as the thighs; and

a distensible waist encircling control band;

said control band comprising, in turn:

a plurality of generally longitudinally extending resilient regions ofsubstantial transverse dimensional extent;

the degree of resiliency of one of said plurality of regions beinggreater than that of another.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,138,481 ll/1938Chateld 12S-159 2,282,218 5/1942 Flesh 2-234 2,872,685 2/ 1959 Denbo2-224 2,960,987 1l/196() Rockwell 12S-528 ADELE M. EAGER, PrimaryExaminer.

1. AN UNDERGARMENT PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR USE BY THE MALE SPECIESCOMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A BODY-ENCIRCLING PANEL FOR ENCOMPASSING THEREAR, THE SIDES AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE FRONT OF THE MALE TORSO;AN UPPER AND LOWER PANEL DISPOSED AT THE FRONT OF SAID GARMENT AND BEINGCONNECTED TO SAID BODY-ENCIRCLING PANEL AT THAT LOCATION; SAID UPPER ANDLOWER PANELS BEING DISPOSED IN PARTIAL OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP WITH ONEANOTHER TO DEFINE A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING VERTICALLY OPENING APERTURE;AND A PLURALITY OF INNER PANELS EXTENDING FROM THE FRONT OF SAID GARMENTTO THE REAR THEREOF; SAID INNER PANELS EACH BEING CONNECTED TO SAID BODYENCIRCLING PANEL AT THE FRONT AND AT THE REAR OF SAID GARMENT, AND ALONGAN EDGE OR SIDE THEREOF TO SAID LOWER PANEL; SAID INNER PANELS EACHBEING FOLDABLE LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF TO PROVIDE A PORTION THAT COACTSWITH THE LOWER PANEL IN DEFINING A DISTENSIBLE POUCH OF VARIABLECAPACITY USEFUL IN THE KNOWN MANNER REGARDLESS OF THE DIMENSIONALEXTENTS OF THE MALE BODY.